The Structure of Cree Words

Initial, Medial, and Final

Observation

ᔖᐳᓂᑲᓐ		shaapunikan	a needle for sewing
ᔖᐳᒎ		shaapuchuu	s/he is cold because the cold is coming through
ᔖᐳᓇᒻ		shaapunam	s/he puts it through by hand
ᔖᐧᐹᔥᑌᐤ		shaapwaashteu	it shines through
ᔖᐧᐹᐸᐦᑌᐤ		shaapwaapahteu	it is smoked through

The stems of these words have a meaning that includes the idea of through and they have a common element ᔖᐳ shaapu. Most stems are made of smaller building blocks that can be recognized. An element like ᔖᐳ shaapu that is typically found at the beginning of the word, is called an initial. Other elements can be found in other positions, like in the middle of the word stem, or at the end of it.

An element found in the middle position like -aapech string-like, is called a medial.

ᐧᐄᐹᐯᒋᓲ		wiipaapechisuu	it (anim, string-like) is black
ᐋᔖᐯᒋᓇᒻ		aashaapechinam	s/he lowers it down (string-like)
ᒋᔅᐸᑳᐯᒋᓲ		chispakaapechisuu	it (anim, string-like) is thick

An element found in the final position of the stem, before the inflection, like -n by hand, is called a final.

ᐋᔥᑐᐧᐁᓀᐤ		aashtuweneu	s/he extinguishes, puts it (animate) out, by hand
ᒋᒥᓀᐤ		chimineu	s/he breaks off a piece of something (animate) by hand
ᐸᑯᓀᓀᐤ		pakuneneu	s/he makes a hole in it (animate) by hand
ᑕᔓᓀᐤ		tashuneu	s/he spreads it (animate) out straight by hand from being bent
ᔒᐹᓀᐤ		shiipaaneu	s/he pushes him/her under by hand

Stem, Derivation, and Composition

The process of assembling word stems can be done in three ways by: primary derivation, secondary derivation, and through composition.

A stem formed by primary derivation, called a primary stem, is made up of one or more elements that are not word stems themselves. For example, the verb ᐱᓱᐸᔫ pisupayuu, s/he/it goes slow is made up of an initial pisu- and a final –payi that are not words themselves.

pisu	payi	u
INITIAL	FINAL	personal suffix
STEM		INFLECTION

A stem formed by secondary derivation, called a secondary stem, is made up of an underlying word stem and at least another stem-building element. For example, the verb ᐱᓱᐸᔨᐦᑖᐤ pisupayihtaau s/he makes it go slow is made up of the stem of the existing verb ᐱᓱᐸᔫ pisupayuu and the causative final -htaa.

pisu	payi	htaa	u
INITIAL	FINAL
INITIAL		FINAL	personal suffix
STEM			INFLECTION

A stem formed through composition contains independent elements, like two existing word stems, or a preform and another word stem. For example, the noun ᒥᔥᑎᑯᓈᐯᐤ mishtikunaapeu carpenter is made by conjoining two other noun stems: ᒥᔥᑎᒄ mishtikw wood and ᓈᐯᐤ naapeu man.

ᒥᔥᑎᒄ	+	ᓈᐯᐤ
mishtikw		naapeu
wood		man
STEM		STEM
ᒥᔥᑎᑯᓈᐯᐤ
mishtikunaapeu
carpenter
STEM

The verb ᒥᔪᒌᔑᑳᐤ miyuchiishikaau it is a nice day is made by conjoining the preverb ᒥᔪ miyu and the verb ᒌᔑᑳᐤ chiishikaau.

ᒥᔪ	+	ᒌᔑᑳᐤ
miyu		chiishikaau
good		it is day
PREVERB		Verb STEM
ᒥᔪᒌᔑᑳᐤ
miyuchiishikaau
it is a nice day
STEM